Surat, March 3 : A livestock artificial insemination technician from Vaheval village in Gujarat's Surat district, has recorded an unusually high conception success rate, significantly improving reproductive performance and milk yields in dairy cattle in the region.

Deepak Patel, 63, who has only completed education up to the fifth standard, has recorded an 80 per cent conception rate in cattle through artificial insemination, according to officials at the Surat District Co-operative Milk Producers Union Limited (SUMUL Dairy).

After receiving a call last week, he visited a farmerâ??s home to examine a cow, advising the owner to wait several hours before insemination because the animal was not yet in the optimal stage of heat.

â??This is the correct time for artificial insemination,â?? he told the farmer before returning later in the day to perform the procedure. The careful timing is key to the high success rate.

The national average success rate for artificial insemination in India is estimated at 35 to 40 per cent.

Dr Ajitsinh Jadve, head of the veterinary department at SUMUL Dairy, said that the cooperative conducts an estimated 5,00,000 artificial insemination procedures annually across Surat and Tapi districts, with an overall success rate of approximately 53 per cent.

He further added, "Patelâ??s individual success rate was significantly higher and that farmers in his area had benefited from an increase in the number of productive dairy animals and higher milk output.â??

According to figures cited in a book on Patelâ??s work by Dr P. R. Pandya, a former managing director of SUMUL Dairy, average daily milk production from a crossbred cow in India is about 7.4 litres and 8.05 litres in Gujarat.

In Mahuva taluka, crossbred cows inseminated by Patelâ??s method have been reported to produce 11.3 litres per day on average.

Patel joined SUMUL Dairy in 1999 and has since performed more than 80,000 artificial insemination procedures, maintaining a consistently high level of success, colleagues say.

Dr Pandya said the cooperative recognised Patelâ??s talent early and that his work had â??increased farmersâ?? incomes and accelerated livestock improvementâ??, particularly in Mahuva. Patel attributed part of his success to precise timing of insemination.

Patel has also trained his sonâ??inâ??law in artificial insemination work, ensuring continuity of the technique in the local community.

An English biography of Patel, The Miracle Boy â?? Dipak Patel, has been coâ??authored by Dr Pandya and Shashwat Adhvaryu.

In addition, the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has produced a short documentary, Safal Bijdan, to help inspire others in the field of livestock breeding.

Patel has also been honoured by the Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah for his contributions.

India continues to lead the world in milk production, and officials say efforts in Gujaratâ??s dairy sector are expanding under national and state leadership.

Patelâ??s work in artificial insemination, they add, has contributed to improved livestock productivity and incomes for farmers in parts of southern Gujarat.

/IANS